I regularly warn my clients that child support orders do not grow stale or disappear. Even if the child did not live with the parent awarded custody, the obligation remains as long as the child support order remains in place. If the custodial parent received welfare benefits, the state issuing those benefits may gain the right to collect from the non-custodial parent.

Here is a very disturbing report from a man who is facing financial ruin when his joint (with new wife) checking account was drained to pay an old and probably forgotten child support debt:

my checking account which receives both my ssdi & my new wife’s ssdi have been seized for the full amount of both our checks with no notification and leaves us with a negative $19,000 balance. My bills are bouncing including my mortgage. We are trying to get an attorney but since we live in florida but the support order is from Mass. no one will take the case. The child is now 40 years old and did not live with the biological mother during the time period of this support, but all other payments were made. Please help us before we become one the homeless.